If any good has come out of the pandemic, then it’s that many people have used the enforced lockdowns to take charge of their health, including using the time to quit smoking. This is not only great news for them and their overall health, but also for the NHS, given that smokers are estimated to cost the NHS up to £2.6bn a year.
Research shows that vaping is twice as effective at helping people to stop smoking as any other tobacco replacement method, so if you’re thinking of taking up vaping as a means to quit then you’re in good company.
However, if you’re going straight from cigarettes to an electronic device it’s not a simple question of changing what you put in your mouth when you need a nicotine fix. Swapping to vaping presents a few challenges, many of which can be overcome with time and patience, so you should treat it as a transition period and a learning curve.
Here’s a quick summary of what you can expect to happen when you make the switch to vaping.
YOU’LL START COUGHING MORE
If you’ve been smoking cigarettes for a while then your lungs will have accumulated tar and mucus, so when you start vaping you may notice the urge to cough more frequently. This is actually good news because coughing is a way to release that build-up of toxins in your airways. This may go on for a few weeks (depending on how heavily you previously smoked) but it will gradually ease and you’ll soon notice that you’re breathing more easily as your body cleanses itself.
YOU’LL GET HEADACHES AND/OR BE A BIT SHAKY
Withdrawal from any addictive substance like nicotine can have its side effects, headaches and the shakes being some of the most uncomfortable. This is where vaping can really help because there’s a wide range of nicotine-based e-liquids that will give you the hit you want without all the other nasties you get with cigarettes. We suggest you experiment with different strengths until you feel comfortable and the withdrawal symptoms start to lessen. At Dispergo we offer a Satisfaction Guarantee whereby if you don’t like one of our e-liquids we’ll exchange it for free.
Also, if you’ve never used tobacco products and are considering taking up vaping as a hobby, please don’t vape nicotine – it will probably just make you sick.
YOU’LL GET DIZZY OR LIGHT-HEADED
When you smoke a cigarette you are decreasing the circulation of blood to your brain. But when you vape that constriction doesn’t happen so more oxygen flows around your body and to your vital organs. That’s why you may feel a little light-headed for the first few days of vaping, but it’s actually just your brain getting used to an increased – and until now unusual – amount of oxygen. You may also feel dizzy from going slightly overboard with too many nicotine-based e-liquids so, again, experiment with different strengths until you get comfortable.
For some people making the transition from smoking to vaping won’t be the walk in the park they’re expecting. Switching successfully to vaping won’t happen overnight. Take your time, try new things, and learn to enjoy the experience. And speak to us if you have any questions.
